Tubular double drum type counterflow washing machine for textiles, especially laundry



Dec. 27, 1966 E. J. SULZMANN 3,293,891

TUBULAR DOUBLE DRUM TYPE COUNTERFLOW WASHING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES, ESPECIALLY LAUNDRY Filed April 30, 1964 4- Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 27, 1966 E. J. SULZMANN 3,293,891 INE FOR TUBULAR DOUBLE DRUM TYPE COUNTERFLOW WASHING MACH TEXTILES, ESPECIALLY LAUNDRY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 50. 1964 A Mi mm w 3 T VM 4 02 m 5 J M Mr a w R Dec. 27, 1966 E. J. SULZMANN 3,293,891

TUBULAR DOUBLE DRUM TYPE COUNTERFLOW WASHING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES, ESPECIALLY LAUNDRY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 50, 1964 Jnremor- .Emcu J 5m zMA/v/v J. SULZMANN TUBULAR DOUBLE DRUM TYPE COUNTERFLOW WASHING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES, ESPECIALLY LAUNDRY Dec. 27, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 50, 1964 ATTYJT United States Patent M TUBULAR DUUBLE DRUM TYPE COUNTERFLOW WASHING MACHINE FUR TEXTILES, ESPE- CIALLY LAUNDRY Erich Joseph Sulzmann, Campione dItalia, Prov. di Como, Italy Filed Apr. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 363,966 8 Claims. (Cl. 6858) This invention relates to washing machines, and more specifically to a tubular double drum type counterflow washing machine for textiles, especially laundry.

A washing machine of similar construction is known in which the washing is charged at one end and discharged at the other end of the machine and the subdivision of the outer drum into separate liquor compartments is obtained by means of bearing rails preferably consisting of plastic, which are totally or partly encompassing the inner drum. It is further known to provide the inner or washing drum, which is perforated in the region of the liquor compartments, with bafi le means, for example annular ribs, disposed within the inner drum opposite the bearing rails between the longitudinal extending engaging ribs, thereby defining in the inner drum zones which correspond with the liquor compartments.

The technical advantage of such washing machines over the known inclined tubular washing drums rotatable within a vat or over the perforate washing drums with scoops on the outer drum consists in that the liquor compartments in the outer drum, which correspond with the washing zones defined by the bafile means in the inner drum are sealed from one another. Thereby, perfect subdivision of the inner or washing drum into washing zones is obtained and mixing of the washing liquors is prevented by the annular ribs of the inner drum in cooperation with the washing piling up over the center axis of the inner drum. Only when the drum is rotating, the liquid will flow against the feed direction of the washing through air spaces forming in the washing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide certain improvements in tubular double drum type washing machines of the aforedescribed type to obtain primarily a satisfactory separation of the soaking and pre-washing zone from the following washing zone in the inner or washing drum, thereby to attain efiicient pre-washing.

A further object is seen in the provision of a quantitatively regulatable fresh water supply at the discharge end of the washing machine, as well as of means ensuring satisfactory transport of the clean washing from the discharge end of the machine.

Another object is to provide bearing rails which differ from one another with respect to the extent to which they are encompassing the circumference of the inner drum, thereby to obtain satisfactory discharge of water-insoluble dirt particles, particularly fat particles of kitchen washing, from the outer drum.

According to a particularly advantageous feature of the present invention, the bearing rails may be arranged to encompass the inner drum in a stepped manner to make it possible that water-insoluble dirt particles such as fat particles from kitchen washing can flow over and be drained through the discharge pipe.

Expediently, the bearing rail arranged in the last rinsing zone at the discharge end of the washing machine may end below the bath level to ensure constant circulation of the bath between the agitated last rinsing zone and an adjacent non-agitated zone in which the conveyor belt for the transport of the discharged washing is arranged.

In the rinsing zones in which the rinsing or bleaching liquor is modified by the addition of chemicals such as bleaching agents, rinsing agents, heat or the like, the bearing rails conveniently extend upwardly-above the bath 3,293,891 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 level to prevent mixing of the rinsing liquors in the liquor compartments of the outer drum.

In the washing regions, however, it is advantageous to limit the liquor compartments in the outer drum at lower levels so that washed-out fat particles outside the inner drum can flow over from one compartment to the other and finally be drained through the discharge pipe without once again contacting the washing in the inner drum. To this end, the bearing rails arranged in these compartments may be stepped.

By the feature according to which at the discharge end of the washing machine and more specifically in the last rinsing zone thereof the bearing rail likewise ends below the bath level, constant circulation of the bath is obtained between the agitated zone, i.e. the zone in which due to the rotation of the inner drum the washing is constantly revolved, and the so-called dead or non-agitated zone in which the conveyor belt is arranged.

In counterflow washing machines it is known to use the fresh water first for rinsing the clean-washed washing and subsequently to heat this water and thus the washing approximately to the boiling point in at least one hot washing zone, for example by means of steam injections. Finally, different chemicals such as soap, alkali, oxygen bleach or disinfectants, for example soda bleaching liquor, are added to the washing liquor in dilferent washing zones. Owing to the fact that in one of the rinsing Zones the counterflow bath is partly divided by a branching shunt conduit, the counterflow washing bath is reduced in quantity by the hot-washing or washing Zones in the washing drum itself and, moreover, washing liquor still containing chemicals is fed to the charge end or to a collecting suction box.

The present invention also provides a means of washing textile washing, if desired by the counterfiow principle, in elongated washing machines in general, in that badly soiled washing is pre-washed in several zones with different washing liquors.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a tubular double drum type washing machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the washing machine;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line V-V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a partial longitudinal section through the charge end of a tubular double drum type washing machine provided with two pro-washing zones arranged in series, and

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section through the washing machine, showing a different embodiment of bearing rails stepped toward the pre-washing zone.

With reference now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a tubular double drum type washing machine according to the invention, which substantially consists of a stationary outer drum 10, supported by a frame 11, and an endcharged perforate inner or washing drum 12, as can be seen especially from FIGS. 3 to 5.

v The washing drum 12 is supported by bearing rails 13 preferably made of plastic and partly or entirely encompassing the washing drum 12. The bearing rails 13 are distributed in axially spaced relationship over the length of the Washing machine and define a plurality of liquor compartments between the outer drum 10 and the washing drum 12. The washing liquor can freely flow through the washing drum 12 in the longitudinal direction thereof, but on the bearing rails 13 there are provided imperforate annular parts 16 which are wider than the bearing rails 13. Thereby, a plurality of washing zones 51 are defined within the washing drum 12, which are separated from one another by annular baffie ribs 40 and over which the-washing 60 is conveyed toward the end of the washing machine designed as a discharge end 18.

Mixing of the washing liquor is prevented by the annular bafile ribs 40 and by the washing 60 piling up to a level above the longitudinal center axis of the Washing drum 12. The tubular double drum type Washing machine is preferably mounted so as to extend in an inclined plane so that the washing 60 introduced into the washing drum 12 at the end of the washing machine designed as a charge end 17 will gradually arrive at the discharge end 18 of the washing machine. Only when the drum is rotating, the liquor will flow contrary to the motion of the washing 60 through air spaces forming therein.

Within the washing drum 12, a soaking or pre-washing zone 28 is separated from the next following washing zone 51 by an annular partition wall 50 extending upwardly beyond the liquor level and, in the outer drum 10, it is separated from the next following liquor compartment 15 by bearing rails 13 reaching high above the liquor level.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 7, the tubular washing drum 12 is about halfway or less imperforate at its charge end 17 up to the advance of the washing liquor being fed from the other end.

For quantitatively regulating the fresh water supply, for example in a pipe conduit 53 connected to a reservoir 52, a regulating means 54 (FIG. such as a valve, a cock, a nozzle or the like is provided for controlling the flow, while in a shunt conduit 24 and 24a (FIG. 2) connected to a collecting suction box 34 there is incorporated a regulating means 33b. A suction pump 24b is provided for pumping washing liquor from the collecting suction box 34 through the conduit 24a to a charging funnel 25 to flush the dirty washing into the washing machine. A discharge pipe 35 from the pre-washing zone 28 opens into the collecting suction box 34 via an interpositioned float valve 36.

As will be seen from FIG. 5, for adjusting the regulating means 54 and locking it, an angle lever 61 is provided which can be fixed on a rail 63, for example in grooves, by means of a latch 62 provided at the free end of one of the lever arms. At the free end of the other lever arm of the angle lever 61, a valve rod 54a is pivotally mounted.

At the discharge end 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the washing machine, the inner drum 12 has an annular end wall 55 joined up immediately outside the washing drum 12 and close up to the free annular edge 55a of the end wall 55 by a relatively narrow conveyor belt 38 provided as a means of transport for the washing 60 discharged from the washing drum 12. Above the conveyor belt 38, a pressing roll 56 is arranged to hold the washing 60 down in contact with the conveyor belt 38, thereby to ensure that the washing 60 is reliably carried along by the conveyor belt 38.

The invention also relates to a means of simply laundering textile washing in elongated washing machines, for example tubular double drum type washing machines, without it being necessary to adopt the counterfiow principle.

This method consists in treating for example bloodstained or otherwise badly soiled washing for the purpose of pre-washing it in a plurality of washing zones with different washing liquors, for example rinsing liquors containing chemicals, or with fresh water.

For this purpose, an additional or second pre-washing zone 28a (FIG. 6) is arranged between the pre-washing zone 28 and the first washing zone 51.

As can be seen from FIG. 6, the second pre-washing zone 28a is connected with a fresh water supply pipe 58 incorporating regulating means 57.

Moreover, also an additional controllable discharge pipe 59 is connected to the second pre-washing zone.

Owing to the fact that between the pre-washing bath and the major washing bath there is provided a second pre-washing bath to serve as an intermediate rinsing zone, operation can be performed as follows:

(A) When the second pre-washing zone 28a is used as an intermediate rinsing zone, fresh water is supplied from below through the fresh water supply pipe 58. In this case, the fresh water can flow off on both sides over the partition wall 50 and the baffle rib 40 and, together with the separate baths, i.e., the pre-Washing bath and the major washing bath, out through spill ports 31 and 32 connected with the adjacent washing zone 51 and the pre-washing zone 28, respectively.

(B) If, however, the second pre-washing zone 28a is intended to serve as a water discharge zone, the discharge pipe 59 is opened and the fresh water supply pipe 58 closed. The pressing of the washing when this passes over the partition wall 50 and the baffle ribs 40 ensures practically uninterrupted direct discharge of the two different baths. The pre-washing bath flows from the left in FIG. 6 over the partition wall 50 and the major washing bath flows from the right in FIG. 6 over the baflle rib 40. Thus, dilution of the washing bath in the washing zone by the pre-washing bath is prevented, which results in improved washing in the major washing bath and in an increased dirt-removing capacity of the practically undiluted major washing bath.

By the arrangement of the regulating means 54 and 33b in the shunt conduit 24 and 24a it is possible to control not only the fresh water supply forming the main rinsing flow, but also the secondary flow drained oif, for example, to one of the washing zones 51, thereby the main stream of the washing liquor flowing on through the washing drum being quantitatively regulated at the same time. This indirect regulation of the main stream of the washing liquor is particularly advantageous. But also the regulation of the secondary stream is advantageous because the secondary stream continuously renews the soaking and pre-Washing zone circulating in itself.

Advantageously, the second pre-washing zone 28a illustrated in FIG. 6 is provided with a spill port in addition to the discharge pipe 59 thereby to obtain that a predetermined bath level is maintained which, however, is lower than that in the other zones. This raising of the bath level in the drain zone should take place if the sealing of the zones by the bearing rails were insutficient so that in all zones a too low batlh level could occur. If this too low bath level would occur in all zones, also the bath level in the whole machine would have to be raised again by raising the spill port in the drain zone.

The regulatable discharge pipe 59 of the second prewashing zone 28a is conveniently connected to a spill port constituted, for example, by a hose and adjustable in height. By lowering the spill port, this can also be used for draining the bath when the washing machine is shut down overnight.

As can be seen from FIG. 7, the bearing rails defining liquor compartments 15a, 15b and 150 in the outer drum decrease gradually in height in the direction of the arrow 29, i.e., they encompass the inner drum 12 only below the bath level 42. The upper ends of the bearing rail 13a reach a lower height than the bearing rails 13 in the individual washing zones. Likewise the bearing rail 13b is not so high as the bearing rail 13a and the bearing rail 13c ends at a lower level than the bearing rail 1312. This arrangement makes it possible that the water-insoluble dirt particles, especially fat particles, washed out of the washing can directly fiow over from the liquor compartments 15a, 15b and 150 in the outer drum so that these particles are discharged through the spill port 31.

In a zone 44a (FIG. 1) used as the last rinsing zone at the discharge end 18 of the washing machine, in which zone fresh water and, if necessary, acid is introduced, a

the agitated rinsing zone 44a and a dead or non-agitated zone 44 in which the conveyor belt 38 is arranged.

FIG. 7 also shows by means of arrows 44c, 44d, and Me where the different chemicals are to be introduced in the washing drum 12. At 44a and 53, for example, fresh water and acid are introduced, while oxygen bleach and steam are introduced respectively at 44c, 44d and 44:2. At 44d also soap and alkali are introduced, whereas disinfectants, such as soda bleach liquor, are fed into the washing drum at 28.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A tubular double drum type counterfiow washing machine for textiles, especially laundry, comprising a stationary tubular outer drum, an inner washing drum rotatable in said outer drum, a plurality of axially spaced bearing rails arranged between the outer drum and the inner washing drum and defining individual liquor compartments in the outer drum, annular partition means subdividing the interior of the inner washing drum into at least one soaking or pre-washing compartment and a plurality of washing compartments, the bearing rail between the liquor compartment of the soaking or prewashing compartment and the adjacent liquor compartment and the annuular partition means between the soaking or pre-washing compartment and the adjacent washing compartment extending beyond the bath level.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the combination further includes an adjustable regulating means for controlling the fresh water supply to said washing machine.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at the discharge end of the machine the washing drum has an annular end wall with an annular free edge immediately joined up by a relatively narrow conveyor belt for transporting the washing discharged from the washing drum and a biased pressing roll is arranged directly above the conveyor belt for keeping the washing in contact with the conveyor belt and thus to ensure reliable transportation.

4. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein bearing rails decrease in height in the direction of the soaking or pre-washing compartment, thereby to make it possible that water-insoluble dirt particles such as fat particles washed out from kitchen washing can directly overflow and then be discharged through a spill port.

5. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a last rinsing zone at the discharge end of the washing drum the bearing rail ends below the bath level to ensure circulation of the bath between said last rinsing zone and an adjacent non-agitated zone from which the clean washing is removed.

6. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at the charge end of the machine two successive soaking or pre-Washing compartments are arranged which in the feed direction of the washing are followed by the washmg compartments.

'7. A washing machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second of said two successive pre-washing compartments is connected to a fresh water supply pipe, said fresh water supply pipe including regulating means.

8. A washing machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein an additional discharge pipe is connected to the second of said two successive pre-washing compartments for draining said compartments.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 480,502 8/ 1892 Lorimer 68-168 649,152 5/ 1900 Annandate 68-5 8 2,289,515 7/ 1942 Mathews 6858 3,210,969 10/ 1965 Sulzmann 6858 FOREIGN PATENTS 489,794 8/1938 Great Britain.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TUBULAR DOUBLE DRUM TYPE COUNTERFLOW WASHING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES, ESPECIALLY LAUNDRY, COMPRISING A STATIONARY TUBULAR OUTER DRUM, AN INNER WASHING DRUM ROTATABLE IN SAID OUTER DRUM, A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED BEARING RAILS ARRANGED BETWEEN THE OUTER DRUM AND THE INNER WASHING DRUM AND DEFINING INDIVIDUAL LIQUOR COMPARTMENTS IN THE OUTER DRUM, ANNULAR PARTITION MEANS SUBDIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF THE INNER WASHING DRUM INTO AT LEAST ONE SOAKING OR PRE-WASHING COMPARTMENT AND A PLURALITY OF WASHING COMPARTMENTS, THE BEARING RAIL BE- 